php - laravel 4.1 validate url input -

okay after every thing work in code

and pretty

i need how validate user url input

and if did insert non url how foreword 404 page

and here route file

route::get('/', function() {     return  view::make('hello');     });   route::post('/', function() { $url = input::get('url'); $record = url::where('urls', '=', $url)->first(); if ($record) {     return view::make('result')     ->with('shortend', $record->shortend); }  function get_uniqe_short_url() {      $shortend = base_convert(rand(1000,99999), 10, 36);     if (url::where('shortend', '=' ,$shortend)->first() ){         get_uniqe_short_url();     }     return $shortend; } $shortend = get_uniqe_short_url();  // otherwise add new row , return shortned url   $row = new url;     $row->urls = $url;     $row->shortend = $shortend;     $row->save();   // create results view , present short url usr    if ($row){     return view::make('result')->with('shortend',$shortend);  }  });   route::get('{shortend}', function($shortend)      {      // query db row short url          $row = url::where('shortend', '=', $shortend)->first();      // if not found redirect home page          if (is_null($row) ) return redirect::to('/');      // else grab url , redirect          return redirect::to($row->urls);      }); 

forgive me many questions totally new laravel

first, tip, have logic in routes.php. url router meant take http requests , "route" them correct controllers , methods. see the documentation started controllers.

i never fan of "redirecting 404 page", instead believe if page isn't found should display 404 page there. laravel, can call app::abort(404); kill application , return 404 status browser. can take step further "listening" 404 errors , returning own custom view:

app::missing(function() {     return view::make('errors/404'); }); 

let me know if need more validating url, think should start restructuring code using controllers. can check this question regular expressions match urls. how use regular expression in php:

if(!preg_match('/expression/', $url)) {     app::abort(404); }